Why Rats Make Great Pets

When I was ten, I wanted a dog. I was obsessed. I knew every breed in the AKC, and was friends with every dog in the neighborhood. But the landlord wasn't as fond as canines as I was, and I remained dogless. Instead, I kept a variety of other pets. I'd had gerbils, guinea pigs and hamsters since I was little. Unlike my dream dog, they weren't affectionate, or particularly trainable, or really very interesting at all. They were cute, but there just wasn't much to them.

While in the pet section of the library (my favorite place to be) I ran across a book that claimed pet rats are smarter and more "dog-like" than any other rodent. I had to have one! My mother had other ideas. She found rats creepy and gross. Of course, I considered this completely unfair and prejudicial on her part. I walked two miles to the pet store and bought myself a rat, figuring my disobedience was warranted. I was saving a life, after all. Like most pet shops, especially at the time, rats weren't considered "pets" but only meals for reptiles. I plucked my little tan-and-white "Robbie" from the literal jaws of death, and walked back home with him.

It took a few days, but Robbie settled into our home and my mom settled into the idea of having him there. She still thought his tail was icky, but otherwise he was just another rodent in a house already occupied by several species.

The first time he licked my fingers, I thought Robbie just liked the taste of salt on my hands. But he began to make a regular habit of it, and it seemed an awful lot like he truly enjoyed being petted and scratched behind the ear. I found he actually wanted to be near me, too -- he'd scrabble at the side of the cage wanting to get out and climb into my hands He liked to explore, but never strayed far from me. This was completely different from my other rodent pets, who really didn't seem to give a darn about me. They liked to come out of their cages, but had no interest in being petted, never showed affection in any obvious manner, and would run away from me given half the chance.

One day I got home from school to find Robbie nowhere in sight. He'd escaped from his cage. I was horrified. A gerbil or hamster escape was always a big drama in our household. The animals were usually recovered, but only after days of waiting, and some careful stalking and quick action on my part to capture them. Worse, a few of my pets had simply never been found, their fates unknown. I was already far more attached to Robbie than any of my other rodents, and was close to tears at the thought of possibly losing him for good. I sat down on my bed and tried not to cry. Moments later, a little nose came peeking out from under the bed. Robbie. He climbed onto my foot and patiently waited for me to pick him up. He didn't want to go anywhere -- he was just looking for me!

We became good friends, my little rat and I. I took him nearly everywhere, hidden away in my jacket or on my shoulder beneath my hair. Whenever he got more than a few inches from me, he'd come scampering back at the slightest provocation. He didn't want to lose me any more than I wanted to lose him. I found he liked to wrestle and play with my hand, much the way a kitten would. He recognized and liked me particularly -- he was shy with others. He loved being cuddled and petted, and I finally accepted that when he licked me, it was his way of showing his affection towards me. Just like a dog would.

That's rats. Unlike the other small rodent pets, rats learn who their owners are and socialize with them just as they would another rat. In many ways, they really aren't so different from a very small dog. They like to be scratched behind the ears, and give licky kisses in return.

Rats aren't dirty. Like a cat, they clean themselves several times a day. Adult male rats have a mild musky scent, but you have to put your nose right up to them to notice. Rats don't carry diseases that can be transmitted to people. No, they don't carry the Bubonic plague. The Plague was carried by fleas found on an entirely different species of rat, the wild Black rat. Domesticated rats don't have fleas, as a rule, or any other types of parasites.

They rarely bite. My childhood memory of injuries includes regular, bloody nips from some of my hamsters and gerbils, but not from my rats. Later on, over the years, I was bitten a couple of times by female rats protecting new litters of pups, and once by a rat who was very ill and probably in great pain. But I can't say I blame them! Some rats do occasionally nip, usually because they mistake human fingers for food when they're put through the cage bars, but they're far less likely to bite than any of the smaller pet rodents. I personally think they make the best pets for kids, because they so rarely bite, and their larger size makes them much easier to handle.

They're just as easy to care for as the smaller rodents, which as pets go, is pretty darn easy. They are bigger and need a bigger cage, but their care is quite simple. They don't need walking, they won't scratch the furniture, they won't bring fleas in the house, and they can be left at home alone for a weekend with just some extra food and water.

Rats are trainable. Many owners have at least partially litter-trained them, and it's not difficult to teach rats to come when called. Some have even learned to play basketball! Scientists have often studied and remarked on the intelligence of their laboratory rats, and study their brains as models for our own.

Pet-lovers across the country, and beyond, are catching on. Rats are steadily increasing in popularity, and there are now dozens of colors and varieties, many of which look very little like wild brown rats. There are rat clubs, and rat get-togethers where fanciers buy and sell all sorts of rat toys, hammocks, playtubes and other supplies. There are rat breeders who put as much care and thought into their bloodlines as the best dog breeders, and there are even rat shows.

I've had rats for a long time now. I brought Robbie home almost twenty years ago, and have rarely been without a few rats since. I've raised them and loved them, held them close, cuddled and kissed them, carried them with me in jackets and backpacks into just about every place they're not allowed. In return, they've loved me and snuggled with me and gotten me through some of the roughest parts of my life. They have not given me any diseases, caused any infestations of any kind, or sent any of my friends or family away screaming in horror. They're clean, gentle, affectionate, smart, trainable, easy-going, lovable little animals. Rats aren't dogs, but for a pet you can fit in a pocket, they're awfully close.

Perhaps the greatest drawback to pet rats is, they just don't last long. Old age for a rat begins at less than two years old, and even the longest-lived don't often make it past their fourth year. But, in a way, I appreciate even that about my tiny friends. Their lives are brief, but they can give so much during those few years, and quietly move along to allow their people to get on with their lives. It's allowed me to get to know dozens of these friendly, clever little animals in the fairly brief time since I learned how wonderful they are.

One more thing about rats: although we can't hear it without special equipment, rats laugh!